The present invention provides an applicator comprising a tubular insertion member and a retrofitted gripping member. The applicator is particularly useful for delivering a catamenial device into the vaginal canal, such as a tampon or menstrual collection cup.
Applicators for inserting and expelling objects into a body cavity typically comprise a tubular insertion member having an insertion end and a gripper end opposite thereof, and an expulsion member slideable within the tubular insertion member. The gripper end generally incorporates features to allow a user to more or less securely hold the applicator during usexe2x80x94inserting the applicator into a body cavity, expelling a substantially enclosed object contained by the applicator, and withdrawing the applicator from the body. Unfortunately, many applicators known in the art comprise a gripping section that exhibits a weakness during at least one of the three above-identified steps of using the applicator.
Voss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,150, and Sartinoranont, U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,222, incorporates projections, such as a ring, at the trailing end of the applicator member. These projections provide resistance to rearward finger slippage during the expulsion step of using an applicator, and they may help the user to remove the applicator from her body.
Whitehead, U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,531, reduces the diameter of the applicator in the vicinity of the tubular insertion member trailing end. The reduced diameter creates a shoulder near the insertion end to resist finger slippage toward the insertion end during the insertion step.
Both of these approaches suffer from providing resistance to finger slippage in only one direction. Efforts to provide resistance in two directions, as disclosed in the art, suffer from shortcomings as well.
First, Voss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,169, increases the friction on the trailing end of the tubular insertion member by coating it with pulverized stone or sand. This may be especially helpful as applicator manufacturers are moving toward the use of higher gloss surfaces, which are purported to aid in ease of applicator insertion into a body cavity.
Second, Hagerty, U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,652, employs a plurality of finger-accepting apertures in the applicator to provide relatively abrupt, finger-accepting edges. These edges frictionally resist movement of a user""s finger in response to longitudinal forces on the device. Although a useful contribution to the art, the finger-accepting edges disclosed by Hagerty, are generally limited to the wall thickness of the applicator.
Finally, Suzuki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,474, discloses a sanitary tampon applicator comprising a plastic outer sleeve having a diameter-reduced section along a length adjacent its rear end so as to form an annular shoulder, and a annular rib at its rear open end. This device has two or more physical restraints as a means for the user to hold the applicator securely during all of the steps of use. It is noteworthy that the Suzuki applicator is limited to a xe2x80x9cplasticxe2x80x9d outer sleeve. One skilled in the art would recognize that it would be difficult to form similar physical restraints (shoulder and rib) on a paperboard applicator. Plastic applicators incorporating such design features traditionally employ sophisticated molds and processes in injection molding operations, e.g., comprising split cores and/or side slides. The resulting mold designs and processing steps can add significant costs to the final product.
Accordingly, what is needed, is an applicator that can be manufactured by low-cost, high-speed equipment and ejected by operation of an injection molding device in a single direction and retrofitted with a superior gripping member that has features to help during insertion of the applicator into a body cavity, expulsion of a contained object, and withdrawal of the applicator from the body.
The present invention relates to a gripping member for use on a tubular insertion member of an applicator for inserting an object into a body cavity. The gripping member includes a plastic sleeve having a longitudinal axis, first and second ends, an outer surface, and a bore extending from the first end to the second end. It also includes a plurality of raised features disposed on the outer surface of the body, extending away from the longitudinal axis. At least one of the raised features is proximate the first end, and at least one of the raised features is proximate the second end. Finally, at least one notch defined by side edges is disposed at one of the first and second ends to impart flexibility to the associated end. The plastic sleeve is arranged and configured to be affixed to the associated tubular insertion member.
The invention also relates to a method for forming a gripping member for use on a tubular insertion member of an applicator for inserting an object into a body cavity. The method includes forming a substantially tubular mold cavity between a first mold plate and a second mold plate; injecting molten plastic material into the mold cavity; cooling the plastic material in the mold cavity to form the gripping member; opening the mold and ejecting the gripping member. The mold cavity has features of increased thickness at a first end and at a second end and at least one notch-forming insert disposed at one of the first and second ends. The gripping member has a first end and a second end corresponding to the first and second ends of the mold cavity and at least one flex-enhancing notch corresponding to the at least one notch-forming insert in the mold cavity. The at least one notch allows the end associated therewith to flex sufficiently to permit separating the mold plates and stripping the gripping member.